Bluenette, Brunet, Spiky and Blonde
by WishingDreamer5
Summary: Wishing-Fire's 50 Theme challenge. 100 moments, 2 pairings, 4 different people: Aqua, Leon, Ventus and Naminé. They met by chance, but who had ever thought that a blind date set up by friends and an arrangement would make them fall this hard for each other? And then the past that tries to catch up on them. Love had never been easy in the first place, but this was something new...
1. New Beginnings

**A/N: This is my take on Wishing-Fire's 50 Theme Challenge. A special thanks Alacquiene, MonMonCandie and Wishing-Fire, for helping me with deciding the pairings. Enjoy! :)**

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><p><strong>1. New Beginnings<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

_"Aqua, it's obvious. You need a new start,"_ Yuffie, one of her new friends had told her.

Aqua wasn't that sure, though, but she knew that she wouldn't achieve anything if she did nothing at all.

Apparently, Yuffie and Cloud, a guy Aqua knew from work, had set up a blind date for Aqua with some guy called Leon. They were fully convinced that this would be the perfect "New Beginnings" Aqua wanted. Why she had agreed with them, was beyond Aqua's knowledge, too.

Maybe she had said yes because according to Cloud, Leon had already agreed. But why? They didn't even know each other. They had never met, not even by chance. Perhaps he needed some new start, too.

These thoughts all went through Aqua's head when she stood outside the most famous coffee shop of Radiant Garden.

"Okay. Here we go," she muttered, opening the door to see...

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><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"Whoa! You nearly gave me a heart attack! What are you doing here…in the dark?"

They didn't know each other, that was obvious. But then again, who _did _know her, save for those horrible bullies, she wondered.

"I-I'm…s-s-sorry. I'll go somewhere e-else," she muttered, sniffing.

She already got up from her spot on the floor, between the mops and the brooms, and headed tot he door. She kept her eyes on the floor. Her long blonde hair hid her face like a curtain, so she couldn't make eye contact with him. This was embarrassing…

The boy stopped her, though.

"Hey…are you alright?" he asked, worried.

Naminé nodded, still looking down.

"…I'm Ventus, but please call me Ven. All my friends do, so…"

_…So?_

"My name…is Naminé."

"Nice name... Hey…could you meet me here again at three p.m?" Ven asked.

"I…guess?"

"Sweet! Till then!"

He wanted to see her again? Why?

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you liked it. I'll probably update once a week. Next chapter: you'll get to know why Naminé was crying, and how Aqua's date went. A review makes my (birth)day. :)**


	2. Shy

**A/N: Enjoy! The first drabble takes place one day later. Oh, and Aqua's slightly older than she was in BBS.**

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><p><strong>2. Shy<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

Leon was the most mature guy she had ever seen. Thoughtful, sensible, and with a good sense of (dry) humor. Too bad he hadn't talked that much, though.

At first, she had thought he was a little shy (which would've been kinda cute), but soon, she learned that he just didn't like talking that much to strangers. And in the end, Aqua had been the one who became all shy around him. She had been doing the clumsiest things, had said the stupidest things, struggling to find the right words (to _form_ coherent words) to say, like a lovestruck school girl in some cliched movie.

Aqua didn't quite remember when she had felt butterflies in her stomach for the last time, but it felt great to have them back again.

The loud ringing of her mobile phone interrupted Aqua's train of thoughts. The display said that the caller was… Leon?

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><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"Vanitas tore your drawing into pieces? What a jerk!"

Naminé and Ven were sitting in the most popular coffee shop of Radiant Garden.

The blonde girl saw how a pretty, blue-haired woman stepped inside: Aqua, her guardian. Naminé wondered what she was doing here.

Before she got an answer to that question, Ven said, "I know what your problem is."

Naminé looked at him again.

"I don't have a problem."

"No…maybe 'problem' isn't the right word… The main obstacle to achieve your goal is your shyness. You don't let people in that easily, huh?"

A faint blush colored the girl's cheeks, and she averted her gaze. It was needless to say that Ven was right.

"That's what I thought… Hey, let's make a deal. I'll help you to open up more to people, and in return…we become friends. Deal?" Ven asked.

That was all? Nothing else?

Eventually Naminé nodded.

"Deal."

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you liked it. A review makes my day. :)**


	3. Breaking the Ice

**A/N: This one was really hard to write.**

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><p><strong>3. Breaking the Ice<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

_"Aqua speaking?"_

By hearing her voice again, Leon's heart skipped a beat or two. It made him forget why he had called her in the first place.

_"Hello?" _she said once again.

Leon cleared his throat.

"It's me," he spoke, before he clarified, "Leon."

_"Oh!"_

There was some rustling on the other side of the line. Leon started to wonder how in Heaven's name he should continue this sad attempt of a conversation.

_"You want your jacket back, right?"_ Aqua asked, after a tad awkward moment of silence.

"Oh, uh…" Leon was more than glad that she decided to break the ice this time. "Yeah…"

_"Where can we meet? The coffee shop?"_

"That's fine. I'll see you there, Aqua."

_"Bye."_

When Aqua hung up, Leon remembered again why he had bothered to call her. Not because of his jacket, but because deep inside, he actually wanted to see her again.

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><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

Every time before Naminé would meet Ven, she became slightly nervous about the encounter. She never knew what to say to break the silence, so she was more than grateful when Ven took it as his job to break the ice. And another good thing about that was that it actually worked.

Although today, he had gone for a different approach; he had asked her if he could look at the sketches that she had in her bag.

"So… I was wondering if you could draw something for me too… if you don't mind, that is," he hastened to add when he saw the new expression that appeared on her face.

For a moment, she had thought that he was going to talk about something awkward, something she wasn't going to like, but this… This was rather unexpected.

"Oh, uhm… Sure."

Instantly, Ven's smile became wider at that. "That's great!"


	4. Kind

**4. Kind**

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

As expected, Leon was the one who arrived earlier, since he lived closer to the coffee shop. He decided to sit at the same table as last time, in the back and near the window, so he could see Aqua when she would arrive.

As the quiet man looked out of the window, he saw how a familiar blue-haired young woman tried to comfort a crying toddler. By the looks of it, he had dropped his ice cream. To his great surprise, Aqua took her purse out of her hand bag and ordered an ice cream. After that, she gave it to the little boy. Then, they exchanged a few words. The boy's grin couldn't become any wider.

Leon couldn't help but smile. How kind of her. Not many people would do that. It proved that she had her heart on the right place.

Perhaps he should go for her…

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><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

Thank heavens Naminé's classes were finally over. Even though she always dreaded to go home again, she thought it was better than being at school.

It was then that Ven spotted her, struggling with carrying her schoolbag and the books that were in it. He headed her way.

"Oh wow, that looks pretty heavy!" he stated.

Naminé jumped at the unexpected sound, but sighed relieved when she saw it was Ven.

She smiled. "It's not too bad."

"Let me help. I can carry them for you," Ven offered.

"That's nice of you, but you don't have to."

"Come on, I won't let them fall. I promise," he said, solemnly.

"No, really. I'm fine-"

Ven didn't even wait for her to finish her sentence and took it out of her hand.

"But… Thank you, you're too kind," she muttered, sighing.

Ven started to laugh, replying with, "It's nothing, don't mention it."


	5. Movie

**A/N: I hope Laguna's (Squall's dad in Final Fantasy VIII) in character...**

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><p><strong>5. Movie<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

For their second date, Leon invited her to come over to his place to watch a movie. He lived in a big mansion. That wasn't a surprise to Aqua, seeing that Leon's dad was an important officer. It was Mr. Laguna Loire who opened the front door.

"Ah, and you must be the lovely Aqua. Welcome, it's nice to meet you," the cheerful man greeted her.

"Thank you. It's name to meet you, too. Mr. Loire," Aqua replied politely.

"Please call me Laguna! Squall has told me so much about you!"

Squall…as in Leon?

"He has?" Aqua asked, surprised.

"More than two and less than five words. That's a lot, coming from him," he assured her.

Aqua laughed, but an icy cold voice suddenly said, "That's enough, Dad. Aqua, this way."

Aqua nodded and followed Leon, after saying goodbye to his amused father.

"You have a nice father."

"…I guess…"

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><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

Naminé was more than just content with the new project for school. The project was to make a movie of your favorite fairytale in groups of six. Kairi was the evil sorceress, Sora the sorceress's knight (which happened to be the princess's ex-boyfriend), Selphie was a sharp shooter and Tidus the authority.

Somehow, Naminé ended up being princess, while Ven was the knight. Making the movie happened to be quite fun, too.

"So now comes the part when the knight promises his loyalty to the princess," Tidus, the camera man-to-be said.

Ven nodded. Then, he kneeled in front of Naminé, taking her delicate hand in his.

"Princess, I promise I'll protect you against any evil. I would give my life if I have to. I'll be… your knight."

Naminé gulped. Was it just her, or did this promise have a double meaning, since it was Ven who had said this?


	6. Jealousy

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews and the favorites! They're really appreciated. :)**

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><p><strong>6. Jealousy<br>**

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

Aqua wanted to answer Leon's question when she spotted someone from afar.

"Oh! Excuse me, I'll be right back," she said, as she got up from the bench next to him.

Leon merely nodded, curious as to where she was going all of a sudden. The smile on the woman's face widened slightly when she stopped in front of a tall, well built brunette and started chatting.

Leon's brows furrowed as he inspected the man. He had dark brown, slightly spiky hair and azure-colored eyes. From this distance, one could easily mistake him for Leon's brother.

…Not that he had one.

Who was that guy? What did Aqua need to discuss with him, leaving him behind? Well, whatever it was they were talking about, Aqua sure seemed to enjoy it, for she laughed a little too much for Leon's liking.

Leon's hands were clenched into fists, his knuckles becoming white.

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><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"Ven?"

Ven turned around at hearing the girl's voice.

"Hey, Naminé. What- …Whoa! That- that's just…"

Ven was truly at a loss of words as he eyed Naminé's latest drawing.

"Do you like it?" Naminé nervously asked, eyeing the spiky-haired teen.

"Like it? This is the most beautiful portrait that's ever made of me!"

Naminé blushed slightly at that.

"Th-thank you," she muttered, not looking at him.

"Did you say you used crayons for this?"

Naminé nodded.

"Wow, that's even harder than doing it with paint. If you just knew how jealous I am at your skills right now…"

Naminé's pale cheeks colored only more, but that was just the beginning because then, Ven hugged her tightly, almost knocking her off-balance in the process. This earned her a few jealous glances from the popular girls near them.

"V-Ven? Everyone's watching," she squeaked.

"So? Let them watch. I'm just so happy!"


	7. Butterflies

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews and the favorites! They're really appreciated. :)**

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><p><strong>7. Butterflies<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

Today had officially been the hardest and most tiring day in Aqua's life, _ever._ Even thinking about it now, before she was going to sleep, made her heart beat faster and her cheeks color a deep red.

The movie she had seen with Leon had been great, although she had missed certain parts because she had become aware of... certain things.

Like how close she was sitting to Leon, his arm loosely placed on one of the armrests, barely touching hers.

How she could could hear his soft and steady breathing, and if she listened closely, she could almost swear she could hear his heartbeat, too.

And gosh, he smelled so darn good! It was a mix of cologne and… coffee beans?

All this made it hard for her to concentrate on the movie. It did revive the butterflies he always gave her by simply being there in her presence.

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><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"So, what do you think of my friends?" Ven asked.

"They're all very nice," Naminé replied, truthfully.

The strange thing was that Kairi, Sora's girlfriend, looked a lot like her. They could've been twins, had it not been for their different hair color.

"I already thought so. Wow, nice butterflies," Ven commented, eyeing her unfinished drawing.

Naminé smiled.

"Thanks."

"Hey, I've got an idea. Let's do something fun tomorrow when school's out."

"Sure. Who else is coming?"

"Nobody. It'll be just the two of us. See it as a date, because I wanted to thank you for the drawing."

"You don't have-"

"I insist," Ven said, smiling.

Naminé's heart fluttered. If you multiplied the butterflies in her drawing with 100, then you got close to the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She hoped she could get used to this feeling, since she would be a lot around him this year.


	8. First Date

**8. First Date**

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

"This is my favorite photo."

"You wore this on our first date, too," Leon commented, looking at the photos in her mobile phone. "That color looks… good on you."

"Thanks," Aqua replied.

They were currently sitting outside in the park, enjoying the nice weather. They had met by chance today, both taking a short break from their work. This way, they had ended having lunch together.

It was silent for a moment, but then Aqua decided to break it by asking, "You never told me if you enjoyed our first date… or not."

"I did, Aqua," was all he said, but it was enough for Aqua.

He didn't finish his thought; _otherwise I wouldn't be sitting here today, next to you…_

"Okay…"

She was glad he did, even though she wasn't really sure what part he had enjoyed. The part where she had made a complete fool out of herself?

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><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"Hmm… let's sit overthere. I mean, if that's okay with you?" Ven proposed, giving the blonde girl a questioning look.

Naminé nodded. "Sure."

She had been at least a thousand times in this pub before, but never with a date, her first date. It seemed that there was a first time for everything indeed. However, she had no idea why he had said that she could see this as a date.

When they reached the table with the most beautiful view of outside, Ven made sure to act like a gentleman.

"What would you like to drink?" Ven asked.

"Um… One mango-Paopu milkshake," Naminé replied with a small smile.

"Got it," Ven said, nodding, before he went away to get the drinks.

Naminé couldn't help but find it adorable that Ven was doing his best to make sure she had a good time on the best date she ever had.


	9. Park

**9. Park**

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

Leon ended up calling Aqua, asking her if he would like to go to the park with him… and Angelo.

"Sure but… who's Angelo?"

"A dog," he had replied. "One of my friends can't walk her today, so I suggested that I could do it."

Aqua had said she would love to go and Leon was glad about that. This was one of his tests. If Angelo liked Aqua, too… then he would go for it. If not, then… he didn't know yet. But he was sure that it wouldn't get that far.

Leon had been right; the dog seemed to love Aqua. It was almost as if Angelo thought that…

_Stop it!_ Leon admonished himself.

Meanwhile, Angelo had succeeded in getting herself, Leon and Aqua stuck, the tangled leash feeling like a rope.

When had _that _happened, he wondered.

Not that he minded being closer to Aqua this way…

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><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

It was a sunny Saturday. Naminé sat on a bench under the big oak tree in the park, waiting for Ven.

Naminé enjoyed how the sun warmed her skin. She just hoped she wouldn't burn. Sometimes it happened even when she used sun block.

_I guess that's what you get with a skin like mine… I wonder if Ven has the same problem…_

Once again, she caught herself thinking about him again. Honestly, what was wrong with her? First the feeling of those butterflies in her stomach, and now this…

"Yo, Nami! Sorry I'm late," Ven said apologetically, interrupting her train of thoughts.

The girl smiled at the new nickname he had come up with.

"That's okay, Ven."

"No, it's not. Terra always says it's not cool to let girls wait, so to make it up to you, I brought some see-salt ice cream. Here."

Ven was too sweet.

"…Thanks."


	10. Midnight

**A/N: It took me a while, but here's chapter 10! (which means that I finished 20% of this challenge.)**

**A Special thanks to those who reviewed, favorited and alerted so far: MonMonCandie, RoseOfADifferentColor, emmausgirl94, Fille des Reves, anabel the lady shark, asianwriting, Hell's Angel 606, phil331, and last, but not least Starry Requiem.**

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><p><strong>10. Midnight<br>**

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

Leon held Aqua's coat for her, like a gentleman, so she could slip her arms into the sleeves. Truth be told, she had completely forgotten about the time and before she knew it, it was midnight.

"Thanks."

"I'll drop you off," Leon offered when Aqua wanted to leave.

"No, I'll be fine. Thanks for the offer, though," Aqua said, smiling.

"It wasn't an offer. I'll walk with you," he said, sounding determined.

Aqua frowned at that. Gentleman or not, even Leon could overreact a little sometimes. She was a grown woman. She could take care of herself.

"Leon, You really don't have to. I live only a few blocks away."

But he would have none of it. "I can't let you go outside all on your own. It's past midnight! It's dangerous to be out this late. Who knows what kind of people you'll meet?"

"Okay," she muttered, smiling secretly.

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><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

Ven had roped Naminé into having a sleepover with him and his friends; Sora, Kairi, Riku and Xion. Naminé had been very reluctant about this, since she knew that the boys would tell them hauntingly scary stories. She didn't want to be the only scared person there.

"Nothing will happen, Nami. I'm there to protect you, remember?" Ven had assured her with a goofy smile.

So there she was, with Ven sitting next to her.

"It's midnight. You know what that means?" Riku whispered.

Nobody replied.

"I'll tell you. He's here, with us. Lord Xemnas's spirit, ready to take our soul away."

Then, the bedroom door sweeped open. Everyone started yelling and panicking. Naminé instantly grabbed Ven's arm, until she saw it was Sora who had returned from the bathroom.

"What's wrong, guys?" he asked.

Riku slapped the back of Sora's head. "Idiot, you scared us all half to death!"


	11. Holidays

**A/N: I hope that Leon isn't too OOC...**

**Thanks: LBWind, JayDex, and MonMonCandie.**

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><p><strong>11. Holidays<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

"I'm sorry, I can't. How about tomorrow?" Aqua asked, talking with her (it was now official) boyfriend over the phone.

_"I have three long meetings tomorrow. …How's Friday evening for you?"_ he replied after a short pause.

Aqua looked at her diary and frowned. "That's not possible. I'm helping Naminé with some project."

_"…I see."_

The blue-haired beauty closed her eyes. She really wanted to see him…

_"I guess we'll have to wait till the holidays, then."_

Aqua sighed. "Yeah…"

_"I've got to go now. Have a nice day."_

"You too..."

Yuffie, her fellow worker, gave her a funny look.

"What?" Aqua said.

"Nothing," Yuffie replied. "But the way you two settle a date is kinda weird."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Aqua looked up to see Leon standing in the doorway, holding a bouquet of roses.

"Mind if I visit you now?" he asked.

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><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

Naminé was used to spending the holidays with her guardian, Aqua. But when her guardian told her one morning that someone was waiting for her in the kitchen, she was more than surprised.

Curiously walking downstairs, she saw Ven sitting on a chair, his head leaning against his hands.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," he greeted with a smile, as soon as he saw her.

"Hey. What are doing here?" she asked, blushing instantly.

She was still wearing her moogle pajamas, so she had a good reason to feel embarrassed. At least she had combed her hair…

"I'm here to kidnap you for today."

Naminé widened her eyes. "What?"

"Relax, I asked Miss Aqua for permission," he assured her. "I suggest you have breakfast and then change your clothes, because we've got a lot to do."

Ven's heart started beating faster after seeing the radiant smile that had appeared on her face.


	12. Shopping

**A/N: ****Thanks: JayDex, MonMonCandie and LBWind.**

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><p><strong>12. Shopping<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

"I'll be honest with you here, Leonhart. I had never expected for you to be so long together with her," Zack said, sounding impressed.

Leon merely grunted, not looking up from his papers.

"However, I have to warn you for some things that might cross your path one day…" Seeing that he had Leon's attention now (well, kinda), he continued. "I'll give you a tip: never go shopping with a girl. Seriously, it's killing. I speak from experience, because I went shopping with Aerith one day… Believe me, it was Horrible… A real torture."

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Yes," Leon said.

The door opened to reveal Aqua.

She smiled shyly at him. "Hey. I was wondering if you'd like to go shopping with me…"

"Sure. I'm done here, anyway." Leon smirked. "See you tomorrow, Zack."

Zack sighed. "Dude, did you just listen to me at all?"

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><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"So what have you planned for the day?" Naminé asked, curiously.

She was walking next to Ven, who offered her his arm. Naminé took it willingly, waiting for an answer.

Ven gave her a sidelong glance, before replying with, "I asked Miss Aqua what you liked the most and I decided to go shopping. How does that sound for you?"

At this, Naminé giggled.

"What's so funny?" Ven asked, perplexed.

"Nothing. It's just that… you don't think it's a waste of time doing something like that?"

"No. In fact, I kind of like it. I always go shopping with my Mom, too," he admitted with a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his head.

"You're the only guy I know who likes shopping, then," Naminé said.

"You're wrong," he muttered.

"What?"

"Actually, Sora happens to like shopping, too. So that doesn't make me the only guy."

"…You serious?"

"Of course."


	13. Baking

**A/N: Wow, has it really been more than a month since I updated this? Time sure flies...**

**Thanks: MonMonCandie and LBWind.**

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><p><strong>13. Baking<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

Honestly, was there anything that Leon _couldn't_ do? It didn't seem like it.

Baking chocolate cookies had been Aqua's idea, hoping that she could somewhat show the brunet male her "great cooking" (that's what Naminé always said), but to her great surprise, she was the one to be impressed after she heard that Leon baked cookies often enough.

"My father likes them. He won't stop nagging at me until I bake them for him, so I have no choice," he told her, albeit frowning as he did.

Aqua couldn't help but smile at that. How typical of the always so nice Laguna Loire…

"Well, seems that we're done now…" Leon said, looking at the blue-haired woman. "So uh… what would you like to do now?"

Aqua opened her mouth to reply, when the front door opened and closed. Laguna was home.

"Just what we needed," Leon muttered under his breath.

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><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"Why are we doing this again?" Ven asked, frowning slightly as he tried to decipher the cooking recipe.

"Because Aqua's always there for me no matter what. This is the least I can do to thank her... Besides, I didn't force you. You wanted to help baking yourself," Naminé pointed out with a smile.

"True, but… I never expected it to be this difficult," Ven said, defending himself.

Meanwhile, the blonde girl put the cookies in the furnace and set the time.

"Oh well, the hardest part is over. All we have to do, is watch out that they don't burn, right?" Ven spoke.

Naminé nodded. "Let's go to the living room and watch tv in the mean time."

The kitchen still smelled delicious by the time Aqua came home after a long day… and saw what a mess Naminé and Ven had made in her kitchen.

She groaned. "Great…"


	14. Woman's Touch

**A/N: ****Thanks: MonMonCandie, LBWind and Hell's Angel 606.**

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><p><strong>14. Woman's Touch<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

"Here?" Aqua asked, obviously worried.

She gently put her hands just above his shoulder blades.

"No… lower," he replied. "…Yes, there."

Aqua softly prodded the place, making Leon grunt in pain.

"Sorry!" she quickly cried, all color disappearing from her face.

"It's… okay…"

Aqua hesitated slightly, before she asked, "Uhm…could you take off your shirt so I can see how deep the wound is?"

It was quiet for a moment, but then Leon quietly did as he was told… only to reveal a rather deep cut on his back.

The blue-haired woman bit her lip. "I hope this will help…"

She started taking care of his wound as careful as she could. At first, Leon would tense up regularly when she prodded him too much, but after a while, he had to admit that a woman's touch had been exactly what he had needed, literally; he felt much better now.

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"Wow, this room definitely needs a woman's touch," Naminé said, as she looked at the empty grey walls that surrounded her.

"Yeah, that's why I asked you to help me with decorating it. I mean, not only are you a woman but you're an artist, too," Ven admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly and causing his hair to get spikier in the back. "Any suggestions? Well, as long as you won't paint the whole room pink with glitters everywhere."

Naminé blushed, looking away from him.

Noticing her sudden discomfort, Ven quickly said, "Hey, I'm just kidding! I know you wouldn't do that."

"No, it's not that. I was just… I thought that maybe we could paint it a color that matches your eyes?"

She turned away from him, but he put his finger under her chin, lifting up her face again.

"I think that's a great idea, Nami."


	15. The Other Woman

**A/N: No, I'm not dead yet, but life's really busy these days. There's been this introduction week going on for uni and every time I come home, I'm too tired to even check my mail. Anyways, enough of my rambling. Enjoy! ;)**

**Thanks: MonMonCandie, Mikichan21 and Koneko156.**

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><p><strong>15. The Other Woman<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

Apparently, all relationships had a certain point that made one think that his or her partner was seeing another. Now, Aqua was usually a confident woman who trusted Leon more than some of her friends, but now that she accidentally found a photo of another young woman in his bag, she didn't know what to think of it (and no, she wasn't searching through his stuff, Leon had told her to get his wallet for her out of the bag and when she did, this one photo fell out of his wallet).

The bluenette knew that Leon didn't have any siblings and the fact that this mysterious woman was pretty, only made Aqua's inside twist painfully. She had long black hair with caramel-colored streaks on the side, chocolate-colored eyes and angelic features.

"Aqua, did you-" Leon started, making Aqua jump.

He stopped when he saw the photograph she was holding…

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"Naminé, what's wrong?" Ven asked, for the third time in two minutes.

"Nothing," the blonde girl answered immediately.

The spiky-haired teen didn't believe her. The way her shoulders were slumping, or how she didn't meet his eyes… Something was wrong.

"Hey, you know you can tell me everything, right?" he tried again.

"S-sure…" Naminé breathed in deeply, before she noted, as casually as she could, "You know, there have been rumors about you…"

Ven's eyebrows shot up. "Really? Like what?"

Naminé hesitated slightly before she continued, "Well, for example that you're currently dating your ex…"

"And who might that be?"

"Kairi."

That was when the teen finally understood what was bothering his girlfriend. "But Nami, I don't have any exes. Besides, apart from you, there's only one other woman in my life."

Naminé looked up, her eyes watery. "Who-"

"My mother! I mean, who else can buy such fashionable clothes?"


	16. Glass

**A/N: Enjoy! ;)**

**Thanks: MonMonCandie.**

* * *

><p><strong>16. Glass<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

Once again, Leon filled up his glass to the rim. Vodka… deleting memories since 1405. Not that the brunet male cared anymore. He was actually starting to wish that something could delete his memories about the past three hours. He had had his very first fight with Aqua and it didn't end that well. It was probably his own fault for not opening up enough to her. But he really needed some time, he couldn't tell everything about himself right away. Leon had thought that she would respect that, more than anyone.

He had lost Rinoa, he didn't want to lose Aqua, too…

He could vaguely tell that his mind was getting foggy. He set his now empty glass back on the table again, but apparently, he hadn't set it too far from the edgy. When he let go of it, it fell off the small coffee table and broke.

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

Naminé and Ven were currently washing the dishes together, but the latter's attention seemed to be elsewhere.

"What are you thinking of?" the blonde girl asked, looking at the spiky-haired boy.

"Oh, those glass figurines you showed me earlier. They're really pretty," Ven replied.

"Yeah, Mr. Leon gave her those last week for- watch out!" Naminé cried, but her warning came a little too late.

The glass that Ven was supposed to put in one of the cabins slipped out of his hands and fell on the floor.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to do that. Argh, that was such a stupid move-"

"It's okay Ven, really. Accidents happen," Naminé quickly said, raising her hands. She couldn't help but continue, "Just one more thing.

"What is it?

"I wouldn't touch those glass figurines if I were you. Aqua would kill you if something happened to them."

"Hey! I'm not that clumsy!"


	17. Gift

**A/N: Enjoy! ;)**

**Thanks: Hell's Angel 606 and Mikichan21.**

* * *

><p><strong>17. Gift.<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

When the doorbell rang, Aqua hurried to the front door to open it. Naminé had probably just forgotten her keys, or something. However, she hadn't expected the blonde to be back this early.

To her surprise, it was a delivery boy who had rang the bell. "Hello, I've got a package for one Miss Aqua," he announced.

"...That's me."

She closed the door behind her, turning her attention to the small package. What could it be, she wondered. Who could have sent it? It wasn't even her birthday yet so she wasn't expecting any gifts.

When she opened the box, she saw a small card and a crystal figurine of a miniature roaring lion. The card only said, '_I'm so sorry_. _Please give me another chance_.'

But that meant…

The doorbell rang again, only this time when she opened the door, it was Leon, holding a bouquet of blue tulips.

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"Ven, what are you holding behind your back?" Naminé asked.

"N-nothing."

At this, the girl lifted a brow. "Then why in the world are you holding your hands behind your back like that? Isn't that a rather uncomfortable position?"

"Oh, uh…" Ven started to blush slightly. "Don't worry about me."

"Okay..."

That was when the conversation came to an end. Naminé couldn't help but wonder why her boyfriend was acting so strange. Could it be because they were known as a couple for exactly a month today?

"Anyways, I've got something for you," Naminé then admitted, tucking a blonde strand of hair behind her ear.

She got something out of her backpack and handed it to him, but Ven didn't take it yet.

"Uh, so do I. Here," he said, finally handing her the gift he was hiding behind his back this entire time, but not before he kissed her.


	18. Star

**A/N: Enjoy! ;)**

**Thanks: HollieCharmed and MonMonCandie.**

* * *

><p><strong>18. Star<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

Underneath the stars, Leon told Aqua everything about Rinoa (the person whose picture she had found), from how they had met during a great ball to how she had had a car accident that had cost her life one week after their engagement. It was almost funny, because Rinoa had liked stars, too. In fact, it had been a falling star that had brought them together many years ago…

Leon had honestly never said this much before in his whole life. His story made Aqua realize that a part of his heart always belonged to this mysterious Rinoa. She wasn't sure if she was fine with it, but at least now she knew that she wasn't cheating on him.

"I'm so sorry," Aqua whispered, not looking at him in shame.

"No, I'm sorry. I should've told you earlier…"

_But I couldn't…_

Aqua knew that that was what he was thinking.

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

It was a clear Friday night, which meant that all the stars were out, visible for everyone. Naminé made very good use of that by going outside and taking her sketchbook and crayons with her. Tonight would be the first time for her to try and draw the nightsky with its many stars and mysterious beauty that held many secrets. Thankfully, Ven was there too to keep her company. She had never known that he could bes o protective around her. At first, he had tried to convince her not to go, because it could be dangerous for a girl her age.

"That looks great, Nami!" he admitted, as he looked over her shoulder.

His breath tickled on her cheek, making her blush. She still wasn't used to things like these.

"Thanks," she replied.

"But out of all the stars, you're the most beautiful one," he continued with a smile.


	19. Fright Night

**A/N: Enjoy! ;)**

**Thanks: Mikichan21 and MonMonCandie.**

* * *

><p><strong>19. Fright Night<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

"What's the problem?" Aerith, the pretty flowergirl asked, her emerald green eyes focused on Aqua.

"A double date is fine, but… to be honest, I don't really like the theme," Aqua admitted.

"What's wrong with "Fright Night"?" Zack wondered surprised, his eyebrows practically disappearing into his hairline.

"Well… I'm not really into horror movies and such," she admitted, looking at Leon for a little help.

"You've heard her. I'm not agreeing on this if she doesn't want it," Leon spoke.

"I honestly don't see why you're being so difficult here. You can always hold on tight to your lover if you get scared. I'm sure he won't mind," the raven-haired warrior spoke with a mischievous grin.

Aqua blushed a crimson red at that, which didn't go unnoticed by the rest.

"Stop being such a dork!" Aerith chided, looking at her boyfriend.

"But I thought you _loved_ that side of mine."

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"Ven, I… think I'm going home," Naminé muttered, soft enough so only he would hear.

She didn't want to bother her other friends who were engrossed with the movie they were currently watching. Honestly, she had never been the type who liked watching horror movies at night, but this movie "Fright Night" brought her fears of dark creatures to a whole new level. She didn't know why, but the vampire in this story reminded her much of Vanitas and that was the last person she wanted to think of now.

"What? Why? You don't like the movie?" he whispered back, his eyes wide.

Well, that was the understatement of the year, she thought, shaking her head.

"Oh… Okay. Well, I've seen the movie before. I'll walk you home then, just in case some vampire is lurking," he joked. When he saw how her face fell, he swiftly said, "Just kidding!"


	20. Abuse

**A/N: 40% of this challenge is done, only 60% to go. Enjoy! ;)**

**Thanks: Mikichan21 and MonMonCandie.**

* * *

><p><strong>20. Abuse<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

"HOW _DARE _YOU?"

The angry man was a regular customer and therefore, he probably thought that he had all the rights to act this way.

"But Sir-"

The man ignored Aqua and started shouting abuse at her like she was one of her servants. Since the blue-haired woman had never been in such a situation before, she didn't know how to react on it.

She groaned inwardly. Of all the days Leon could pay her a visit at work it had to be now?

Leon, however, was less tolerant. After getting up from his seat, he grabbed the stranger roughly by his collar.

"I'd suggest you appologise to the lady and cool off, otherwise I'll give you a special treatment you won't forget soon," Leon hissed, flatout _furious_.

That seemed to help; the man mumbled an apology and quickly stumbled out of Aqua's office.

"Thanks," Aqua muttered.

"…Don't mention it."

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

When Ven bumped into Naminé at full force, they both fell on the ground.

"I'm so sorry, Nami! I saw you too late and… Are you alright?" Ven asked, as he quickly got up on his feet and extended his hand towards her girlfriend to help her up.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it," she assured him.

Ven examined the few scratches on her arm. His gaze went up until the purple bruises near her shoulder that her white dress couldn't quite hide. His cerulean eyes travelled to her other arm and he saw that the bruises were there, too. That was strange…

"Those are not from today," he commented, eyeing her.

He knew that she didn't want to say anything about the matter, but he kept asking. Eventually, she admitted that Vanitas had done that; he had pushed her away, making her fall over her books and get bruises…

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I almost forgot about Vanitas, the one who brought them together, kinda...**


	21. Snow

**A/N: Thanks for reading and enjoy! ;)**

**Thanks: Mikichan21 and MonMonCandie.**

* * *

><p><strong>21. Snow!<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

The first thing that Aqua noticed when she opened the front door (except for the fact that it was too cold outside), was that Leon was coated in snow, from his hair to his black boots. However, he didn't seem to be too happy with that fact.

"Hey," she said, grabbing his arm and quickly pulling him inside where it was warm.

"I _hate _snow," was all he said, while shrugging his leather coat off.

This made Aqua chuckle softly, but it still was hard enough for the brunet to hear.

"What?" he grumbled, irritably.

"Nothing. It's just… never mind," she replied, ruffling his hair affectionately to get rid of the snow that was still there. Much to her surprise, he didn't swat her hand away, but closed his eyes, as if he was savoring her touch. "You look like you really need a cup of hot chocolate."

"…Sounds good."

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"Hel-"

_"Nami! It's snowing!"_ an over-enthousiastic Ven called from the other side of the line, not giving Naminé the chance to greet him.

"Really?" she asked, surprised, instantly getting up from her bed and heading towards the bedroom windows to check it herself.

Ven had been right; the biggest snowflakes imaginable fell out of the sky. The sight made her forget that she should be at least annoyed with Ven for waking her up so early… She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and gasped. It showed that it was half pas seven. Wait… why in the world was _he_ up so early? It was Saturday!

"Wow, you're right," the blonde said, a small smile tugging at her lips.

_"Of course! Looks like we can have a snowball fight at the end of the day. So how about it? Or did you have other plans?"_

"Not at all."


	22. Thunderstorm

**A/N: Thanks for reading and enjoy! ;)**

**Thanks: Hell's Angel 606 and MonMonCandie.**

* * *

><p><strong>22. Thunderstorm<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunette ~_

The howling wind came barely above the other noise of the fierce thunderstorm outside. Leon didn't care much, though. It was weekend and he didn't have to go anywhere else, so he had decided to read the book that his dad gave him today for his birthday. Speaking of which, he had no idea where the man was at the moment, but he doubted that even Laguna was stupid enough to go outside.

At that moment, the bell rang, making the brunet roll his eyes. Apparantly, his dad was even weirder than he had thought. What in the world could have been so important that he had to risk his life by going outside?

He groaned inwardly and got up to open the door. However, it wasn't Laguna who greeted him outside, but a dripping wet Aqua, with a present in her hands.

"Aqua? What-"

She smiled. "Happy birthday, Leon."

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

The thunderstorm raged outside. Ven was waiting until it was finally over, but by the looks of it, it would only get worse today. Not that Naminé minded his company. She wasn't very keen on thunderstorms, so his presence made her feel safe. When the thunder rolled once again, the blonde gasped and automatically grasped Ven's arm.

When she became aware of her action, she blushed and quickly let go of him. "S-sorry."

"No, it's okay… Are you scared of thunderstorms?" he asked, linking their hands together.

"I… yes."

He noticed how her face had become significantly paler.

"Bad memories?" he asked.

"Yeah… My parents… they both died… during a thunder storm."

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked," Ven swiftly said, after seeing that tears had formed in her eyes.

He pulled her into a hug, starting to feel quite miserable himself.

"It's alright. You didn't know," she whispered.


	23. Sick

**A/N: Thanks for reading, and enjoy! ;)**

**Thanks: MonMonCandie.**

* * *

><p><strong>23. Sick<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

The first thing Aqua noticed when she opened her eyes was that she wasn't lying in her own bedroom. The walls here were a light yellow and the bed she was lying in was deliciously soft. Still, the fact that she had a fever made all this seem unimportant to her. Her head and her back hurt like hell…

Then, the bedroom door opened, revealing Leon who was wearing a tray with something on it. "Hey. I made some chicken soup for you," he said, as he put the trey with the bowl of soup on the nightstand.

"…Thanks," she whispered.

She tried to sit up. Leon was quick on her side to help her.

"This is why you shouldn't be out in a thunderstorm," he muttered, shaking his head.

Aqua honestly didn't care how stupid her action had been. That look on Leon's face had made it worth it.

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

When Naminé heard that Ven was sick, she'd taken it upon herself to nurse him. Her help wasn't needed by Aqua, since she had a boyfriend who took care of her. Her guardian had even stayed at his mansion since yesterday.

As of now, the blonde girl was checking Ven's temperature again. It didn't look to good, though.

"Why didn't you stay when Aqua told you that it was no problem?" she questioned, her eyebrows knitted together.

She was referring to the fact that Ven had gone home during that thunderstorm of two days ago. No wonder that he had become so sick afterwards. If he had just listened to her and stayed in the spare bedroom just for the night, then he would've been healthy now.

"I just… didn't want to be a burden to you and Miss Aqua," Ven replied, his voice barely audible.

Naminé sighed. "Oh, Ven…"


	24. Trick or Treat

**A/N: I'm getting out of ideas! D:**

**Thanks: MonMonCandie.**

* * *

><p><strong>24. Trick or Treat<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

"Trick or treat!" a group of children cried when Aqua opened the front door for the umpteenth time.

The entrance was decorated with plastic spiderwebs, paper skeletons and other creatures from Hell. Leon knew that this had all been made by Aqua, Naminé and Ven. All in all, it looked pretty good, but he couldn't care less at the moment. Truth was that when the brunet male had told Aqua that he would come over this evening, he hadn't thought that there would be that many to ring the doorbell.

He always spent Halloween in his own room, where he didn't hear the bell. That was why he hadn't expected that it had become this popular under the children. He had seen many impressive costumes; from mummies, fairies and vampires, to witches, zombies and Mr. Death.

Leon grumbled something under his breath that sounded a lot like, "I hate kids."

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"Naminé, can you open the door?" Aqua called from the kitchen when the bell rang.

"Sure!" was the blonde girl's reply, as she made her way to the front door.

She was surprised to find some teenager, dressed like a vampire, stand in front of her. "Trick or treat?" he growled.

That was when Naminé recognized the person.

She giggled, "Ven, aren't you a little too old for that?"

"Hey, I'm only preparing for this evening. I know for a fact that Miss Aqua is pretty popular under the kids, so I expect a lot of people here. And that's when they'll meet the true vampire of Radiant Garden. Mwahahaha!" the spiky-haired boy replied, after stepping inside.

Naminé laughed. "For a vampire you look pretty innocent, even with that fake evil smile. But you're just in time to help us with the decorations."

"Sweet! I'll take off the cape, though."


	25. Mouse

**A/N: I just realized that I'll be going back to school in 5 days (ugh, the joy). So much for wanting to finish this before summer holiday would end...**

**Thanks: MonMonCandie and Fille des Reves.**

* * *

><p><strong>25. Mouse<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

The swordsman looked from Aqua to the hooded figure next to her, and back to Aqua again.

He frowned. "I don't understand…"

"Leon, I'd like you to meet one of my oldest friends," Aqua said with a smile. "This is Mickey."

"Nice to meet you, young fellow!" he said in a rather high-pitched voice, before he revealed his face.

When the brunet male saw who – or rather, _what_ – was in front of him, he widened his stormy blue eyes. An uncharacteristic, shocked expression appeared on his face. He opened his mouth to say something, but his vocal chords didn't seemed to work at the moment.

"Leon, are you okay?" Aqua asked, the worry evident in her voice.

"_That_ is a _mouse_!" was the first thing he could utter.

"Leon!" Aqua then chided, angry at his choice of words.

Mickey sighed, smiling sadly. "It's okay, Aqua. I hear that often enough…"

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

At first, Ven and Naminé had been talking animatedly with each other. The next moment, Naminé had widened her eyes in horror, looking as pale as a blanket.

"What's wrong?" Ven asked, worried.

It was then that he spotted his father's cat prancing proudly in the room… with a dead mouse in his mouth. He figured that he had just returned from his daily hunt, seeing that he could see the mouse's blood dripping on the floor. And it didn't take a genious to guess that Naminé was an animal lover. No wonder she was this shocked.

"Curly, go to the kitchen!" he said, his tone of voice strict.

The white-furred animal stared at the man for a moment, before turning around and leaving the place, obviously offended that he didn't even get a praise.

"Sorry about that," he muttered, before standing up to get Naminé a glass of water.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: At first, I wrote Ven's and Naminé's part for the other couple, until Mickey Mouse crossed my mind. I've always wondered what Leon's first reaction upon seeing him would be...**


	26. Feeding the Ducks

**A/N: ****Thanks: MonMonCandie and Fille des Reves.**

* * *

><p><strong>26. Feeding the Ducks<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

Leon threw another piece of white bread into the water from where he was sitting on a bench. Two of the seven, no, eight ducks immediately attacked it, tearing it into pieces with their beaks. Apparently, they didn't mind that it was too big for them to eat it. One of the ducks almost suffocated on it. The brunet male paid no attention to any of it, though, because the person who was sitting next to him was much more interesting at the moment. He couldn't help but smile.

Aqua had been the one who had almost begged him to come with her and feed the ducks. Now that she was leaning against him, her eyes closed and fast asleep, he started to wonder why she had bothered to come here. If she had been that tired, why couldn't they stay at his place?

Sometimes, he really didn't get her…

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

It was a warm and sunny day with a gentle breeze. Ven was walking quite confidently in the park, when he spotted Naminé. He decided to make his way over to her, as quietly as he could.

When he reached her, he put his hands in front of her eyes, whispering in her ear, "Hi there, beautiful. Guess who I am?"

"Ven, I already saw you before you even knew I was here," Naminé giggled, taking his hands in hers.

"Oh…" He sounded upset for a moment, until he asked, "So what are you going to do with all that bread? Please don't tell me you were suddenly so hungry that you decided to eat all of that here."

Naminé laughed. "No, I'm going to feed the ducks. It would be a waste to throw it all away, don't you think?"

"Can I join?" he asked, making her smile.

"Sure!"


	27. Candy

**A/N: A special thanks to****: Fille des Reves.**

* * *

><p><strong>27. Candy<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

"Leon, I don't think that giving these kids candy is a good idea," Aqua whispered, so only the brunet male would hear her.

"But it shut them up, didn't it?" he muttered, looking at the three kids that were sitting quite confortably on the couch.

They paid no attention to them, far too occupied with what they were eating at the moment.

Aqua and Leon had offered to baby-sit Kairi, Riku and Sora, who happened to be Leon's neighbours. It had been quite easy at first, before their parents left, but then… The blue-haired woman had never seen such a thing before.

"Yes, but I tried this method with Yuffie once. It worked for a couple of minutes, but then-"

Aqua couldn't finish her sencence, because at that moment, all three toddlers had finished their candy and started running around the room again.

"Great… Now we're back to square one."

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

Just when they were done with feeding the ducks, Naminé's stomach happened to growl. Thanks to the silence around them, it sounded extra hard.

"I heard that," Ven commented immediately with a slight grin, making Naminé instantly blush. "Maybe if you hadn't used all the bread to feed the ducks, there would've been enough for you to eat."

"Stop it," Naminé said, punching his arm lightly.

Ven sighed. "Alright… You're lucky I'm here with you. Here."

He grabbed something from out of his backpack and handed it to her. It was a candy bag with her favorite candy: gummi bears.

"Thanks, but… do you really think that candy can still my hunger?" she asked, looking up at him.

"No, but at least you won't collapse before you get home," he said, earnestly.

"Guess you're right. You're not strong enough to carry me home if that happens, anyway."

"Yeah, I- Hey!"


	28. Valentine's Day

**A/N: It's about time that I updated this, right?**

**Thanks: Fille des Reves, Mikichan21 and MonMonCandie.**

* * *

><p><strong>28. Valentines Day<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

"Um… Aqua? I wouldn't go in there if I were you," Yuffie said, warningly, when the blue-haired woman was about to open her office's door.

She stopped, her hand on the doorhandle. "What did you do?" was the first thing she asked Yuffie.

"Who, me?" Yuffie's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "How dare you? What have I ever done wrong?" Aqua, in return, sent her a look that said it all, making Yuffie grin. "Okay, maybe I should've expressed myself differently, but don't tell me I didn't warn you."

Aqua shook her head in confusion and opened the door. The instant she saw the sea of blue tulips that decorated her whole office, a soft gasp escaped her lips. It was then that she noticed the small card on her table. She picked it up and smiled, because it said,

_Happy Valentine's Day, Aqua. Hope you'll like the flowers.  
>~Leon<em>

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

Ven had never expected to find four cards inside of his locker. Curiously, he grabbed them all and saw that they were all addressed to him. He recognized the neat, curly handwriting, too…

"Ven?"

"Hey there, Nami," Ven greeted, quickly closing his locker and putting his hands behind his back, so the blonde girl wouldn't see the stack of Valentine's Day cards.

The girl's eyes travelled from Ven's face to his hands "Why are you holding those cards behind your back?"

"Oh, uh…" Ven looked uneasy, figuring that it was of no use trying to hide them. "I don't know…" He walked towards the dustbin and threw all postcards away. "Uh…what brings you here?"

This time, it was Naminé's turn to be nervous. "I've made a card for you. Happy Valentine's Day…"

Before she could blink, Ven cought her in a fierce hug. "Thanks. I won't throw away this one."


	29. Throwing Up

**A/N: ****Thanks: Hell's Angel 606, DestinyCrusader, Fille des Reves and MonMonCandie.**

* * *

><p><strong>29. Throwing up<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

Aqua winced when Leon once again emptied his stomach in the toilet pot. She felt so bad for him. Dr. Kadowaki had said that he had food poisoning.

He was feeling sick all day, had a high fever, and had to throw up every half hour, too. It was a small blessing that he didn't have diarrhea.

The blue-haired woman helped him to bed when he came out of the toilet again. He looked even worse than first.

"I knew that something tasted funny about Laguna's Valentine's Day cakes," he growled, but his voice didn't sound as icy as it probably would if he'd been better.

She knew that he was furious of Mr. Laguna, since he called him by his name, instead of saying "Father."

"I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose, Leon," she spoke.

"I wish he did. That would make him less an idiot than now…"

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

The sun was shining, there was a nice, gentle breeze that made being outside bearable and everyone Naminé had encountered so far, seemed to be extraordinarily happy. It was the perfect day to visit an amusement park. Everything had been more than just okay today, until the person next to her felt sick and promptly emptied her stomach.

"Guh… I think I'm gonna throw up, too," Naminé groaned soon after that, trying not to smell that sour odor that made her stomach twist.

After this, she was going to kill Ven for persuading her to get into this rollercoaster.

"You're free to do whatever you want, just don't do it on me," her boyfriend, who was sitting next to her, said.

"You know how bad I am at aiming," the blonde girl spat, but luckily for her, everyone in the rollercoaster screamed at that moment, so Ven didn't hear her.


	30. Taking a Break

**A/N: A special "T****hank You" to: MonMonCandie and Mikichan21.**

* * *

><p><strong>30. Taking a Break<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

"Where do you think you're going?" Aqua asked calmly, just when Leon had thought that he could get away with leaving quietly. His hand rested on the door knob, his back stiffening slightly. "Well?"

It took a while for the brunet to reply. "…Work."

"I don't think so, sonny," another voice suddenly popped behind Aqua and Leon.

Surprised that they had a spectator, they both turned around, only to find Laguna standing there.

"Father, please mind your own business," Leon muttered through gritted teeth.

"Leon, your dad's right. You should wait until you've fully recovered," Aqua tried again.

"I can take short breaks from time to time."

"No, you're going to take a break from _work,_ or else…" Laguna started.

"Or else what? You'll try to poison me with your homemade muffins?" the younger male retorted.

Aqua gasped. "Leon!"

"_What?_ It's true, isn't it? You witnessed it for a week."

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"Don't you think that all of this is going too fast sometimes?" Naminé suddenly asked.

Ven's head snapped up so fast that it almost hurt. "What do you mean?" he asked, with a small frown.

Truth be told, Naminé had been thinking all week about how to make this clear to her boyfriend.

"Well… you know, this relationship. One moment, we don't know each other and suddenly we're a couple and dating and stuff. And you have all those secret admirers behind you all the time, too. It's just that… I dunno. I don't know how to handle all of that. I've never had a boyfriend before and all of this is… I think we should take a break."

She didn't wait to see the shocked expression on Ven's face, because as soon as his cerulean eyes widened, Naminé got up from the bench they were sitting on, and left…


	31. Another Start

**A/N: Thanks: DestinyCrusader and Hell's Angel 606.**

* * *

><p><strong>31. Another Start<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

A week later, Leon tried to start working, _again_. The first time, he had felt sick and tired after three hours. It was a coincident that Aqua had visited him on that same day. As soon as she'd seen the brunet's condition (he was looking so pale that it made her think that he could pass out any moment), she had demanded that he'd go home. Obviously, he had listened to her, not telling her that he was secretly glad that she told him to quit.

Now, he was having another start. A good one, that is.

"Glad to see you back in shape again, buddy," Zack said, grinning lazily at him, as he put his feet on his own desk.

"Wish I could say the same about you," Leon muttered with a smirk of his own, catching the book that Zack threw at him (in mock anger) in mid-air.

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

Naminé sighed as she slid down on the couch. Ven had tried to speak to her, again. However, this time it wasn't by calling her over and over again. No, he had tried to talk to her in person, by ringing the doorbell. Unfortunately, Aqua had not been at home, staying with her boyfriend, so Naminé had to open the door herself.

Ven had talked about how they could have another start and talk about what exactly happened. That was definitely easier said than done. That was why the blonde girl had said 'no,' closing the front door and ignoring his calls… Said calls had gotten softer and softer, until they disappeared completely.

Because how could she work on another start if she didn't even make a chance by Ven? There were prettier girls than her; Xion, Olette, Yuffie…

Naminé wasn't special. She was pale, thin… invisible compared to them.


	32. Lonely

**A/N: A special thanks to: DestinyCrusader and iAsk.**

* * *

><p><strong>32. Lonely <strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

Leon suddenly groaned, facepalming.

"What's wrong?" Aqua asked.

"Forgot my wallet," he muttered.

He turned around again and walked back.

"You're so in love these days that you completely forget about your surroundings," Laguna joked. This earned him a withering look from his son, which even made Aqua's hair stand upright. "Just kidding," Laguna swiftly said.

Leon rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

When Aqua and Laguna were left alone in the room, Laguna admitted after a while, "He's changed… When he hadn't met you, he used to stay inside most of the times, locking himself up in his bedroom. Now, however, he's going out a lot and… I guess I just feel a little lonely sometimes…"

Aqua felt bad for him.

She was about to say something when Leon's voice, dripping from annoyance, made both her and Laguna jump. "Don't be so overdramatic all the time. Come on, Aqua. We're leaving."

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

The blonde girl looked down, as she passed another full corridor. She didn't want to look up and see how everyone was happy and together with their best friends and the one they loved, while she had nobody.

She felt invisible, her light blonde hair and much paler skin going all well with the white walls in the background, as if she wasn't there at all.

Was it just Naminé, or did everyone in their school always go everywhere in groups of two? You had Kairi and Sora, joined at the hip, Riku and Xion, just as inseparable as the former two, Tidus and Selphie…

Everyone… except from her. She had nobody who would walk her home, or from home to school. She was all alone, especially now that she didn't have Ven by his side.

Truth be told, Naminé had never before, in her whole life, felt this lonely…


	33. Moonlight

**A/N: A special thanks to: Mikichan21.**

* * *

><p><strong>33. Moonlight<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

At the end of the evening, Leon had suggested that they would go stargazing again, knowing that she loved it. The sky was clear tonight, with the stars and the full moon being the only things that lit up the open area they were currently at.

"The sky looks beautiful tonight," Aqua admitted in awe, as her cerulean eyes seemed to be glued to the many stars.

Leon merely grunted, giving the blue-haired woman a sidelong glance. As soon as he did that, his heart almost stood still. The way the moonlight hit her skin, giving it an almost unnatural glow, it was breathtakingly beautiful. It gave her an angelic look, especially with those incredibly blue tresses of hers. She had truly never looked this beautiful before…

"Leon?"

Finally, he heard Aqua's voice and returned to reality, blinking. The only thing he could utter was, "Uh, wha?" making Aqua laugh.

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

Ven sighed, basking in the moonlight that illuminated his bedroom. He put his head against the cool glass of his window and continued looking up at the sky with empty blue eyes. For a moment, all the stars in the sky disappeared for him and all that mattered was that big bright moon that seemed to feel sorry for his state.

He couldn't help but wonder if Naminé was looking at the moon, too, while thinking of him. Probably not. (Little did he know that that was untrue).

He had been thinking for a long time. Naminé was avoiding him at school all the time and he knew that it was because of how unsure she felt. He knew this, because Aqua had talked with him about her concerns today.

Ven then decided that tomorrow, he would talk with Naminé, even if that was the last thing he would do…


	34. It Started With

**A/N: Thanks: MonMonCandie, Fille des Reves and DestinyCrusader.**

* * *

><p><strong>34. It Started With…<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

"Were you listening to me at all?" Aqua questioned, in a mock hurt voice.

"Yeah…" came Leon's reply, although his ears and the back of his neck had become red.

That wasn't so strange, because he really felt embarrassed at his actions. Had he really been gaping at Aqua for that long that he hadn't realized that she was talking to him?

"Oh yeah? Then I'm sure you can answer this question; what was I talking about?"

"Uh…" To be honest, he had _no idea_. "It started with uhm…"

The blue-haired woman tried to stifle a giggle. He really looked adorable when he was struggling for words like now. Unfortunately for her, it didn't happen that often.

Deciding that she had teased him enough, she changed the subject. "Hey, shouldn't we head back now? It's getting pretty late…"

Leon, being more than glad that she dropped the subject, nodded. "…Yeah."

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"Nami, someone's at the door for you," Aqua called from downstairs.

The blonde girl was still lying in bed, because, honestly, what else was there to do for her on a Saturday morning. Especially now that Ven wasn't here. And now she was thinking of him again.

It was needless to say that she was more than surprised that someone came here for her. As long as it wasn't someone whose name started with a 'V', she was fine with everyone who visited her.

Not bothering to brush her hair or change clothes, she walked down the stairs, towards the front door. As soon as she saw who it was, she gasped, because not only did this person's name start with a 'V', but it ended with 'en', too. The last person she wanted to see.

"What are you doing here?" she uttered.

"We need to talk," he replied, earnestly.


	35. Another World

**A/N: Thanks: (anonymous reviewer).**

* * *

><p><strong>35. Another World<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

Aqua was curled up on the couch, reading the book that she had borrowed from Leon, the best thriller she'd ever read. Somehow, Leon always knew what she liked the most. It was almost creepy, but in a sweet, romantic way.

She was so engrossed with what she was reading now, entering another world where anything was possible, that she didn't notice the person who had entered the room and was approaching her slowly.

_I like the night. The quiet streets, the unfamiliar smells... The sense of a whole other world. __Sometimes you come face to face with-_

"Hey, Aqua," someone then whispered in her ear.

She jumped at that and let out a startled cry, becoming defensive immediately... until she saw it was Leon.

"Oh, sorry. Didn't want to startle you," he said, apologizing.

"I-it's okay… So, what brings you here?" she asked.

"I… need your help," he admitted.

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

Sometimes, you'd get in a situation that made you feel that you were in another world. Everything was so different from three seconds before that it was hard to grasp what was really happening.

Naminé was finding herself to be in such a situation now. Here she was, sitting on the comfortable couch and looking at Ven who was telling, no, _pleading _her to give him a chance. He wanted her back, but… she didn't know if that was a good idea. However, the puppy eyes he was giving her now, weren't exactly helping.

Ven didn't give up, though. It was as though he didn't want to leave before she would give in.

The blonde girl sighed, wearily. "O-okay," she said, eventually.

"So uhm… How about going to the park tomorrow? I heard that the weather's gonna be really good," he suggested.

"That's… fine," Naminé replied, not looking at him.


	36. Carpet

**A/N: Isn't a clumsy Laguna just adorable? :P**

**Thanks: DestinyCrusader, Hell's Angel 606, and Fille des Reves.**

* * *

><p><strong>36. Carpet<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

"What is it?" Aqua asked, frowning, as she put the thriller aside.

Leon rubbed the back of his neck. It took a moment for him to reply. He was clearly not used to ask for help from others, that much was obvious.

"It's my father, actually," he explained, rather awkwardly. He didn't look at the blue-haired woman when he continued. "Yesterday, he was in one of those weird moods of his again and in his, uh… _enthusiasm_, he dropped his glass of wine… on the white carpet in our living room. I've tried everything to get the stain out of the carpet, but it won't disappear."

Aqua tried not to laugh at that. That was so typical of the jovial man. She bet that Leon had become _furious _when he found out.

"Oh. That's… not nice… but I think that I know a solution."

Leon looked relieved hearing that. "Good."

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"Oh, wow. You can finally see your carpet now," Naminé remarked, as she grabbed the remaining white shirt from Ven's bedroom floor and checked if it was clean.

"Yeah, finally. I was starting to forget what it was like to have one," he joked, while giving her a thankful look.

This was the third time that his girlfriend had been helping him with cleaning his bedroom. Ven didn't know how it was possible, but somehow, his room always got a mess within a week.

"Well, you'd better keep your room clean now, because this is the last time I'm helping you with it. What am I, your wife?" she asked, teasing him once again.

"Oh, you make it almost too tempting to propose to you right now," came the answer, at which Naminé threw the shirt at Ven's head.

He had no trouble catching it, though.

"Oh, haha," she huffed.


	37. Morning

**A/N: It's going pretty fast now, isn't it?**

**Thanks: DestinyCrusader.**

* * *

><p><strong>37. Morning<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

It was early in the morning. Sunlight shone through Aqua's eyelids, making her only see red. She stirred, waking up slowly. She didn't know why, but she felt happier than ever, and the day hadn't even started yet. After opening her eyes, she looked around her, expecting to see the familiar contours of her wardrobe and desk first, but the room she was laying in, wasn't hers. The same went for the queen-sized bed. This was strange…

That was when she remembered what had happened last night. She had helped Leon with getting the stain that Laguna had made out of their carpet and she had stayed and fallen asleep on the couch. Leon must've carried her upstairs to one of their spare bedrooms…

Speaking of which, where was the brunet? Deciding that she should find that out, Aqua got up on her feet and walked out of the room…

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

When Naminé finally became aware of the sun warming her skin (the thought of how that was possible crossed her mind), her cerulean eyes fluttered open. The first thing she saw, was Ven sitting at the edge of her bed, looking down at her with a smile.

"Good morning, sleepy head. It was about time you woke up," he greeted.

Naminé flashed him a smile and muttered a "good morning" herself.

She was always incredibly slow in the mornings, so it took her a while to realize why she wasn't in her own bedroom. After cleaning her boyfriend's room, Ven had brought her back home again and spent the evening with her. Then she'd gotten a call from Leon, who'd told her that Aqua would stay at his place. Ven had suggested to have a sleepover at his house and she'd said yes.

…And she definitely didn't regret that decision.


	38. Breakfast

**A/N: ****Thanks: DestinyCrusader.**

* * *

><p><strong>38. Breakfast<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

When Aqua descended the stairs, the delicious smell of eggs, bacon and coffee beans greeted her. It made her stomach growl and her mouth water. This could only mean one thing: Leon was busy in the kitchen.

As she quietly entered the kitchen, she saw that her suspicions were right. Leon, clad in his usual white T-shirt and leather pants, stood near the furnace with his back turned towards her, too preoccupied, or just too busy to notice the quiet visitor.

Aqua bit her lip and decided to press her luck.

She tiptoed towards him and put her arms around him from behind him. "Good morning," she mumbled, pressing her face softly against his back.

The brunet, who had stiffened slightly at first, turned around to face her. "Hey… I was actually about to surprise you with a homemade breakfast in bed…"

Aqua smiled. Really, Leon was just _too_ sweet.

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"Uhm… I wanted to make you a breakfast in bed, but my Dad doesn't allow me to bring food upstairs… I did make breakfast for you, but I'm afraid you'll have to come downstairs to the kitchen," Ven told Naminé, while scratching the back of his head in a rather sheepish manner.

"Oh, that's okay," Naminé said, laughing.

Ven truly looked so… _cute_ when he gave her that look.

After a while, when Naminé had changed clothes, she walked downstairs to the kitchen, where Ven was currently sitting at the table, waiting for her.

As soon as he spotted her, he stopped drumming his fingers on the wooden table and smiled. "That took you _really_ long, even for a girl," he remarked, at which Naminé made a face.

When she saw how much Ven had done his best, though, she forgot all about it.

"Bon appétit," the spiky-haired boy called.


	39. I Love You

**A/N: I forgot to tell you before, but since the beginning of this challenge, two years have passed already. That means that Ven's 17, Naminé's 16 (almost 17), Leon's 28 and Aqua's 24/25.**

* * *

><p><strong>39. I love you<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

It seemed that Leon had had breakfast long before Aqua had woken up and by the time that Aqua was halfway, he'd done the dishes and read the newspaper, too. The only thing he didn't seem to be finished with, was thinking. The blue-haired woman had to wonder, was he always this fast, or was she just too slow?

"What?" Aqua asked, nervously, when she caught Leon staring at her with his steely blue eyes in _that_ way again.

It gave her goose bumps.

Leon blinked, almost as if he got out of a daze. Before he knew what he was doing, he blurted out, "I love you."

It was the very first time that he'd said that and it made Aqua feel deliriously happy.

She took his right hand (gloveless for a change), in hers and smiled. "I love you, too, Leon."

"That's… _good,_" was all he could say.

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

Ven had suggested to go to the park in this nice weather, knowing that it wouldn't stay this nice for that long. After all, last year it had been pretty much the same. It was funny, because he could remember that last year, they had been feeding the ducks here together… and Naminé had realized how hungry she was after all the bread was gone. This made him smirk.

"What are you thinking?" he then heard Naminé ask.

He looked at their interlocked hands, before replying truthfully, "Just about how much I love you."

"Oh really? Since when?" Naminé asked, teasingly.

"…For quite a while."

"…Okay."

"Hey, this is the part where you should say you love me, too," he cried, quasi offended.

"Okay… I love you, too," she said automatically, but Ven stopped walking. "What's wrong?"

"You don't sound like you mean-"

Naminé effectively silenced him with a kiss.


	40. A Proposal

**A/N: Wow, only 10 chapters to go after this one. :)**

**Thanks: DestinyCrusader.**

* * *

><p><strong>40. A proposal<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

A small smile graced Leon's face. It felt more like a stupid grin, though. But he couldn't help it; Aqua just had that effect on him, making him feel so… whatever.

When he noticed that she was still giving him a questioning look, he cleared his throat. Damn, he'd been practicing on this for three days and it had gone… okay. But now… it seemed like the words didn't want to come out of his mouth. Aqua gave his hand a soft squeeze and he decided to go for it.

"Move in with me," he then said, bracing himself for her reaction.

Aqua's mouth dropped open. "W-what?"

"I mean… this mansion's big enough for all of us; my father, me, you, and Naminé, too. Think about it…"

Aqua suddenly smiled. She didn't have to think for long.

"I'd love to."

"_Oh_… Really?" Leon asked, utterly surprised.

She nodded.

"That…that's great."

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"What's that?" Naminé asked curiously, as she pried at the package in Ven's hand over his shoulder.

"A box," came the immediate respond, before he moved away from her.

"Yes, Ven. I can see that, too. But what's inside of it?"

"Hmm… Not telling ya."

"What? Why not?"

"...Because."

Naminé didn't really like it when he was acting so mysterious, and he knew that, too. She was sure of it.

"But if you really want to know, I have a proposal," Ven tried now. This caught the female teen's attention, so he continued. "I'll tell you what's inside the box… if you don't laugh for five minutes."

"That's too easy."

"Oh yeah?"

Suddenly, he stood right next to her. After grabbing both of her hands with his right hand, he started tickling her sides.

"St-stop it, t-that's not fair!" Naminé snorted, as she tried to free herself… in vain. "_Cheater_!"


	41. Decorating

**A/N: Thanks to DestinyCrusader and SoldierGirlXIV for reviewing the previous chapter. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>41. Decorating<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

Leon was currently standing on a ladder, decorating their new bedroom. It was his turn, while Aqua was taking a break now. It was great to see how much energy she had spent into decorating her new home. That gave Leon an euphoric feeling.

The room that they were standing in was empty, save for the rolls of wallpaper that they needed. Since it was a lot of work to do things with the two of them (Laguna was too lazy to join them. Besides, everything he touch would break, anyway) Aqua had invited Cloud and Yuffie to help them, too. Thankfully, Yuffie had behaved good today, until…

"I saw that," the raven-haired young woman suddenly said.

"Saw what?" Aqua questioned.

"You were staring at his butt, huh? Hmm… but I can't blame you for that," she replied with a wink.

Aqua blushed. "_Yuffie!"_

"What?" she said innocently, while grinning.

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

Naminé was currently decorating her own bedroom. Aqua, Leon and Cloud had put wallpaper on the walls earlier. Naminé had asked if she could decorate one of the four walls herself (she was an artist, after all). Fortunately, it had been fine with both Leon and Laguna. The latter had been so enthusiastic that eventually, an annoyed Leon had shooed him out of Naminé's new room so she could finally work at ease.

The tip of Naminé's tongue stuck out of her mouth in utmost concentration. She was painting a mysterious forest with animals appearing here and there, which was quite a task.

She stopped then and stepped back. "Hmm… what do you think?" Naminé asked, looking at Ven.

"Beautiful," came the honest reply.

"That's what you've been saying about all my drawings," Naminé remarked.

"Well… it _is_ beautiful. What do you want me to do, then? Tell you lies?"


	42. Injury

**A/N: Thanks SoldierGirlXIV, for reviewing the previous chapter. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>42. Injury<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

Aqua was at the office when she got a call from the hospital, with bad news.

Her cerulean eyes widened in shock. "_What_? What happened?"

The panic in her voice was evident. This caught Yuffie's attention and she looked up from her work.

"…Okay. I'm coming right away. Thanks for calling."

She hung up and made a sprint to her coat.

"What's wrong?" Yuffie asked immediately.

"It's Leon. He's in the hospital. Injured," she replied hastily, before darting out of the room and making her way to the hospital.

After the call, she had a sickly feeling in her stomach. It was so typical of Leon to be the hero, even on his free day. According to the nurse calling her, he had saved a child that was stuck in a car because of an accident. Unfortunately, he became injured after that, because the car had fallen off a bridge...

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

The silence in the room was almost palpable, thick as smoke.

Terra, one of Aqua's friends and Ven's PE teacher, was the first one who broke the awkward silence. "You're in big trouble, Mister!"

"But I didn't do anything!" Ven immediately defended himself.

"You _kicked_ him! He's injured!" Terra hollered.

"It was an accident!"

"In the _face_?"

"My foot slipped..."

"Three times?" Terra asked, unbelievingly.

"..."

It was obvious, Ven couldn't think of any excuses anymore.

Suddenly, Naminé cried, "It was my fault, Sir."

Both Ven and Terra turned towards the blonde girl. "Wha-?" the brunet male uttered.

"Ven only wanted to protect me. Vanitas was the one who attacked me first. Ven just saw it right in time and defended me," she explained.

"I see…" Terra ran a hand through his hair as the thought for a moment. "I'm afraid that you'll still have to go see the headmaster."


	43. Scared

**A/N: Thanks to DestinyCrusader and SoldierGirlXIV for reviewing the previous chapter. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>43. Scared<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

Aqua sat on a chair across from Leon's room, her head in her hands. How she hated it that no doctor, nor nurse would tell her how Leon was doing. And that on a moment like this. She'd truly never been this scared before…

At that moment, a nurse stepped out of the room he was lying in.

"How is he doing? Can I see him?" she immediately asked.

"Mr. Leonhart is fine. He's still unconsciousness, but you can see him… I'll leave you two alone then," the nurse said, before walking away.

Aqua entered the room. She barely noticed how sterile and boring it was looking, because all she had eyes for was the only person lying in a bed. She sat down on a chair near the bed, and, carefully, took his hand.

"I'm here, Leon. And I'm not going anywhere until you wake up," she whispered, determined.

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

Naminé couldn't sit still, as she waited (very impatiently) outside the headmaster's office. Her sketchbook was open on a random empty page, but she couldn't find the strength to start drawing. Her nerves wouldn't allow her. Ven had been in there for quite a while now and if there was one thing that she had learned, it was that the longer one stayed with the headmaster, the more they were in trouble. This didn't promise any good…

She was so scared that Ven would get the worst punishment possible. What if he got expelled after the stunt he'd pulled? It was possible. That would be all because of her. Because Vanitas had started pestering her. All Ven had tried to do was to be her knight and look at the results.

Naminé could swear that her heart skipped a couple of beats when the door to the office opened, revealing…


	44. Separated

**A/N: Thanks to DestinyCrusader for reviewing previous chapter.**

* * *

><p><strong>44. Separated<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

As if she got an electric shock, Aqua jolted awake, being fully alert again. For a moment, she was so disorientated, that she didn't know where she was. When she remembered that she was in the hospital, she relaxed slightly. Thank heavens it had only been a nightmare.

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. Even in her dreams, her fears didn't leave her alone; she'd dreamed that she and Leon had gotten separated, because he didn't make it…

As she was thinking about all of this, her gaze travelled automatically to the unconscious person that was still laying on the bed, in front of her. If it hadn't been for the huge wound on the side of his face, it would've looked like he was just sleeping peacefully…

She blinked.

Had she just imagined that, or did he move?

Aqua looked more intently at his face, but then…

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

The instant that Ven came outside, Naminé shot up and called his name.

By hearing his name, the spiky-haired boy turned. "Hey," he said, greeting her.

"How did it go?"

"I'll be internally suspended for tomorrow. That's my punishment."

"And Vanitas?" she inquired, biting her lip.

"He has to remove chewing gum from under the tables for at least a week, always early in the morning. I know for a fact that he hates getting up early."

Naminé said nothing, but she thought it was still unfair for Ven. It seemed that his punishment was much severe than Vanitas's.

"Well, I'm sure that we've never been separated for this long before. I was afraid you'd freak out eventually," Ven joked, which earned him a playful punch on his arm. He continued with, "Seriously, though, don't feel guilty about it. It was my own decision to stand up for you, okay?"


	45. Firework

**45. Firework**

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

Leon opened his eyes, slowly, because the sharp light in the room was very _annoying._ It felt like someone was attacking his eyelids fiercely with something sharp. However, opening his eyes was easier said than done. It required a lot of energy to finally manage to do so, but when his eyes fell on the first (and only) person that he saw, he didn't regret it one moment.

"Aqua…"

If the dazed brunet had to describe her expression in only one word, he would definitely choose for "firework." No, it was even more welcoming than that, and it was… blue…

"Hey," she whispered, a radiant smile gracing her lips.

Her cerulean eyes were glistening because of the tears that she was holding back, but even that was in vain, because one tear rolled down her cheek.

"Welcome back, Leon," she said, as she carefully stroked his chocolate brown locks.

"…Thanks."

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"Yes, but that's because uhm… well-" Ven started, rather sheepishly, but fortunately for him, he got interrupted by Naminé, who suddenly cried, "Wow, look at that!"

Ven immediately stopped talking and they both looked at the starry night sky at the same time, to see that a spectrum of different colors exploding in the air. It reminded Ven a little of the first day of spring, when there would be a great festival to celebrate that special day.

"Fireworks? Someone seems to have something to celebrate," Ven noted, surprise evident in his voice.

"Yeah… Beautiful, isn't it?"

The spiky-haired teen gave Naminé a sidelong glance. The fireworks were reflected in her bright eyes.

"Yes… she is," he replied.

Naminé didn't seem to catch that at first, but when she finally realized what he meant with that, she gave him an incredulous look at first, but then blushed, averting her gaze.


	46. Flowers

**A/N: Thank you to DestinyCrusader, for reviewing the previous chapter. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

><p><strong>46. Flowers<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

"Miss Aqua?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

Aqua looked at the little girl who was in front of her. She held the flowers in her tiny hands out to the blue-haired woman. "This is for you. Thanks for saving me from those bullies."

Aqua almost melted at the sweetness of the girl. She reminded her a little of Naminé and Kairi, a friend of Naminé.

"You're very welcome. And these flowers are beautiful! But what about Leon? He helped you, too, didn't he?" Aqua then said, feeling that the silent brunet behind her didn't feel too comfortable.

He looked from Aqua to the toddler, whose eyes had widened at seeing him look at her. Her eyes travelled to the scar on his face and she gulped. After a little while, though, she made two bouquets of the flowers and gave him the smaller one.

"Uh…thanks," Leon said, mildly surprised, taking them from her.

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"Shall we go home now?" Naminé suggested, tilting her head to the side, as she looked at her boyfriend.

"Yeah… just a sec, though," he replied and his gaze travelled to a point behind Naminé.

Before the blonde girl could say something about the matter, the spiky-haired boy walked past her. When Naminé turned around, she saw that he was heading to Aerith, the famous (and pretty) Flower girl of Radiant Garden. Ven said something to the young woman, but they were standing too far away from Naminé to catch what they were talking about. The next moment, Aerith handed Ven a red rose and made the "You-Don't-Have-To-Pay-For-This" gesture. Ven thanked her and walked back to his girlfriend.

"You didn't think that I would end our date without flowers, did you?" he said with a smile, as he handed her the rose.

Naminé smiled. "Thanks. Always being the gentleman, huh?"


	47. Bored

**A/N: Gah! It's been too long ago since I updated this. So sorry! D: But a special post because I've been for exactly 3 years and 1 day on this site. :)**

**Thanks: DestinyCrusader, for reviewing the previous chapter. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

><p><strong>47. Bored<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

Leon's frown had grown slighly deeper as other thoughts popped into his head. His eyes travelled to Aqua, who was sitting in front of him… looking at him. The brunet gave her a questioning look, making her giggle slightly.

He raised a brow at that. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she quickly replied.

"Were you _laughing at me_?" the man now asked, incredulously.

"What? No, no!" Aqua shook her head vehemently. "I was just… wondering why you were looking so troubled. Are you bored?"

"…I was just thinking, actually," Leon replied after a while.

"Again?" Aqua blurted out, before she could stop herself.

Leon merely grunted.

"Is there something wrong?" Aqua then asked.

"...No. Why do you ask?"

"Because… uh, never mind," she said.

Honestly, sometimes Leon was acting so… _weird_ that she had no idea what to make of his behavior. At least she was never bored with him around.

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

Naminé, who was playing with her phone, sighed deeply again. Aqua looked up from her already empty plate and saw that Leon was giving her one of his meaningful looks. Clearly, he was starting to get annoyed. Aqua couldn't blame him. He had come home after a exceptionally _long _day and he needed some quiet and serenity.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Aqua asked, meanwhile getting up to gather the empty plates and do the dishes, since it was her turn.

"I'm bored," the female teen replied.

"Hmm… you can help me with doing the dishes. I'm sure that time will go faster that way. The dishwasher isn't fixed yet, so we have a lot of work to do…"

Naminé visibly paled at that and quickly said, "Oh! Never mind, I just got a text message from Ven. He asks if I can come over…"

"What a coincidence," Leon muttered, slightly amused.


	48. Night Time

**48. Night Time**

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

"G'night," Aqua whispered to Leon, who was lying next to her, as she reached out to the bedside lamp and turned the lights out.

It was silent between them for a moment, until Aqua suddenly felt that strong arms encircled her waist, pulling her towards him.

"Whoa!" Before she knew what was happening, she was trapped in his arms. "Leon, _what_…"

"Night," Leon then finally muttered in her hair, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Aqua blinked, but chose not to comment. It actually felt quite nice and safe and secure, being this close to him.

Dear god, he was shirtless, too… After that realization, she felt how a blush slowly spread on her face.

"You're quiet," the brunet male suddenly noted, making Aqua jump slightly.

"I don't have anything to tell…"

Why did he sound like he was enjoying this?

…Whatever, she could definitely get used to this.

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

Naminé turned her head to the folding bed next to her. She could hardly see anything in the dark, but if she looked long enough, she could vaguely distinguish Ven's spiky hair.

"Hey, you awake?" she whispered.

"…Yeah," Ven whispered back.

"Hope you're not too comfortable in that bed," Naminé started again.

"Nah… Don't worry 'bout that. I'm glad that I'm actually allowed to sleep in the same room."

Normally, he would have to spend the nighttime on his own, in a spare room, so this was more than a welcome change.

Naminé smiled, while trying to reach out to him in the dark. It was easier said than done.

"_Yow_!" Ven suddenly yelped, making the blonde girl sit up.

"Ven, what's wrong?"

"You poked me in the eye," he groaned, moving around.

Oops…

"Sorry!"

"It's okay…" Ven whispered.

He found her hand in the dark and squeezed it softly.


	49. Beautiful

**A/N: A special thanks to DestinyCrusader for reviewing the previous chapters. :) I still can't believe I've almost finished this!**

* * *

><p><strong>49. Beautiful<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

A sparkling ray of sunlight infiltrated the huge bedroom through an opening in the closed curtains, giving the room a healthy glow. Tiny particles of dust became visible as they sailed aimlessly through the air, slowly spiraling downward until they made contact with either the soft plush floor or the occupied bed. All in all, it was a very peaceful sight that fitted Leon's current mood perfectly.

He looked down at the sleeping person next to him, who was curled up against him. The brunet couldn't help but smile. Her soft blue hair seemed to glisten softly in the light. He brushed her hair out of her face, careful as not to wake her up. Then, he traced the lines of her faces with his fingertips, marveling at how soft to the touch her skin was.

His heart started beating faster. Aqua truly was _breathtakingly_ beautiful, from the inside out.

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"I think she's almost done now," Leon assured Ven, who was still leaning against the wall in the hallway.

Leon looked at his watch and sighed quietly. Aqua was probably still busy with Naminé, upstairs.

"I really hope so, otherwise we'll miss the prom," Ven replied, grinning slightly.

The blonde young man was currently waiting for Naminé to finally get ready and come downstairs. She was his date and, being the gentleman he was, he would pick her up and bring her home, too. But man, she was even slower than she usually was, and that meant something.

At that moment, both Ven and Leon looked up, seeing how Naminé descended the stairs, dressed in a light blue dress and matching accessories.

"Wow!" Ven couldn't help but utter, when he saw how _utterly beautiful_ she was looking.

He quickly closed his mouth when he noticed that it was still open.


	50. End

**A/N: Yay, the last chapter! I didn't finish this challenge as fast as I had hoped, but better too late than never, right? :P**

**Thanks: DestinyCrusader and iAsk. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>50. End<strong>

_~ The Bluenette and Brunet ~_

He sounded so solemn. This couldn't be good…

Aqua felt _very_ uneasy. Mostly because Leon had started acting all weird as of lately. He was avoiding her all the time, being even more silent than usual. Something was wrong. Leon was definitely hiding something from her, but she had no idea what that could be.

There was a palpable tension in the air and that made her scared.

"I've been thinking, and…" the brunet male started, but her thoughts were somewhere else and she came up with her own conclusion.

So this was it, the end of their relationship? Would he really break up with her now?

She blinked and suddenly noticed that Leon had kneeled in front of her on one knee.

The blue-haired woman's eyes widened instantly. "Leon, what is…"

"Aqua… Will you marry me?"

She didn't have to think long to come up with an answer, "Yes!"

* * *

><p><em>~ The Spikes and the Blonde ~<em>

"This year went pretty fast, don't you think?" Ven asked, turning his head to look at his girlfriend, who sat next to him under their favorite tree in the park.

"Yeah… pretty much. Only one year to go and then we'll hopefully graduate," she replied.

She put her head on his shoulder, while doodling something random in her sketchbook.

Ven hummed. "But I still can't see this as the end of something. It feels more like something in-between, y'know? Like there will be more… I don't know, it's hard to explain."

"I think I know what you mean… I have that feeling, too," she quietly admitted.

"And I really wonder what next year will bring us."

"Well, I can tell you that. More homework, more stress, more bad hair days-"

"More hugs," Ven then added, interrupting her.

"Oh… that actually sounds nice."

Ven smiled, hugging her. "Then let's start now."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading and I really hope you all enjoyed this. Once I'd complete the challenge, I had to state which pairing I liked writing better and who I thought had a better ending. I think that for both questions I'm gonna pick Aqua and Leon, but it's a really close tie to Ven and Naminé, since I loved writing about Ven, too.**

**A review's always welcome, too. :)**

**REVIEW SHOUT-OUT: MonMonCandie, Starry Requiem, phil331, RoseOfADifferentColor, LBWind, JayDex, Hell's Angel 606, Mikichan21, Fille des Reves, DestinyCrusader, SoldierGirlXIV, and last, but certainly not least, iAsk.**


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